As used in this context, and with reference to FIG. 1, an “insulating glass unit” (“IGU”), as is generally known in the prior art, is seen in partial view as being a sealed unit 10 that is fabricated by combining at least two panes 12, 14 (also referred to as “lites”) of glass (either monolithic or laminate) in spaced-apart parallel relationship. A continuous spacer 16, shown only along top edge 18 of the panes 12, 14, creates a closed air space 20 that provides improved energy performance when the entire exterior periphery is sealed. Roughly speaking, the air space 20 is a volume generally defined an area of the lites 12, 14 and a thickness of a gap 22 separating the interior surfaces 24, 26 of the respective lites. Exterior surfaces 28, 30 of the respective lites are also shown. Gap 22 is small compared to the height or width of the lites 12, 14, but is on the order of magnitude of the thickness of the lites. Insulating glass units 10 may be configured with a variety of glass pane materials and may often use laminated glass on only the interior pane. If glazing is selected with the laminated glass on the interior surface only, then it is critically important to ensure that the windows are installed in the desired configuration. Accidentally installing the monolithic lite on the interior and the laminated lite on the exterior may create significant hazards to occupants.
In an IGU, the spacer typically contains a desiccant for dehydrating the sealed air space. The air space reduces heat gain and loss, as well as sound transmission, which gives the IGU unit superior thermal performance and acoustical characteristics compared to single glazing. Most commercial windows, curtain walls, and skylights contain IGU units. Most perimeter seals consist of a combination of both a non-curing primary seal material, such as a butyl material, and a cured secondary seal, which is commonly a silicone-based polymer. The quality of the hermetic sealants installed between the glass and the spacers and the quality of the desiccant will, in large part, determine the service life of the IGU.
The glass lites in an IGU have a range of motion determined by the inherent flexibility of the lite and the particulars of the framing. Environmental and structural stresses will cause changes in the gap between the lites, as the lites move relative to each other. Accommodating stress and deflections is a critical part of IGU design. Due to safety and durability concerns, the ASTM has set stringent standards and tests for IGUs used in fixed windows.
It is known in the art to place certain ornamental elements and certain functional elements in the air space. For example, it is well-known to ornamentally simulate mullioned windows by placing a lattice in the air space and it is also known to place blind or shade elements in the air space. These elements are typically dependent from and/or supported by the spacer. This is particularly true in the case of a functional element, such as a blind. As these elements are designed to not be in contact with the internal lite surfaces, the elements may be thought of as being effectively two-dimensional.
While there is clearly a desire to provide an IGU that contains an ornamental arrangement of three-dimensional patterns using numerous, apparently free-floating, components such as beads, lenses, disks and rectangles in a stable arrangement, that is, a filled insulating glass unit (“FGU”), but the known prior art does not provide such a device or a method of fabricating it.